Around the World from The Associated Press

Voices about Brazil's protests

(AP) - Some comments by Brazilians participating in protests across South America's biggest country:

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"The government is to blame for this mess because of the corruption and taxes. (President Dilma Rousseff's) response hasn't been appropriate at all _ where is she?" - Inacio Pinheiro, 41, newsstand vendor in Sao Paulo.

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"People are taking advantage of this situation to loot and vandalize. The police have responded in the only way they can when faced with such violence." - Iron Pereira e Silva, 35, Sao Paulo taxi driver.

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"Our politicians have drivers and all sorts of other comforts, but everyone who takes public transport knows it's horrible. I take the subway and the bus everyday, and both are so crowded that sometimes I have to wait for 45 minutes to finally be able to get on. The situation is absurd." - Viviane Jophilis, 27, university student protesting in Rio de Janeiro.

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"My nephew is 12, and the whole family scrapes money together so we can pay for a private school for him, but it shouldn't have to be like that. He should be able to get a quality education at a public school." - Thiago de Oliveiro Albino, 26, radiology technician protesting in Rio de Janeiro.

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"I support the movement but we can't have this destruction. It's cowardice. Dilma has been too slow to make the tough decisions a situation like this demands. She needs to call the army to protect sites during protests." - Romoaldo Sousa, 55, beekeeper in Brasilia.

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